Mother sentenced today to four years' probation in child's death

A 30-year-old Hoopa woman was sentenced to four years' supervised probation today after pleading guilty earlier this month to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 3-month-old daughter.

Rebecca Carroll, who is also known as Rebecca McPherson, was arrested Oct. 15 after her daughter, Rebelle Rose Keene, was found dead in Carroll's bed with third-degree burns covering most of her body. Police believe Carroll was intoxicated in the early morning hours of Oct. 15 and fell asleep in bed next to her daughter with a blow dryer running.

Humboldt County Coroner Dave Parris has said it appears Rebelle went into shock as a result of the burns from the blow dryer and died. Rebelle's autopsy report states her cause of death was "thermal burns by hot air from hair dryer."

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson placed Carroll on four years' supervised probation today, following Carroll's guilty plea to a charge of involuntary manslaughter July 2. Watson said Carroll has been cooperative and that placing her on probation is appropriate.

"We can't change what's happened, but it is a level of criminal negligence," Watson said about the child's death.

Watson declined to have Carroll participate in a child abuser's treatment program as she's already enrolled in a Child Welfare Services program and the county's Healthy Moms program, which is an alcohol and drug addiction treatment program.

Greg Rael, Carroll's attorney, said he was concerned about having her participate in too many programs with an unmanageable number of meetings. Since Rebelle's death, he said Carroll has moved from Arcata to Hoopa, making it harder for her to travel to Eureka.

Rael said Carroll also regained custody of two of her four children this week, so she needs to be available to take care of them.

After the sentencing, Carroll sobbed in the arms of Rebelle's father. Both declined to comment.

Rael said the death of Carroll's child was an accident, and that Carroll has taken responsibility for what happened.

"It's a really, really sad case," Rael said. "Rebecca has really taken to heart all the help that she's been given."